Hello Jagsters.
Japan turned out to be a fascinating place, although I cannot say I’d want to
live there. We visited the cities of Takamatsu and Tokushima on the southern
Island of Shikoku, as well as severeal days in Tokyo. Ate loads of excellent
raw seafood (Sushi and Sashimi) and generally washed it down with local
Supporo beer (not the greatest).
Of course I had my eyes peeled for Jaguars while there. XJ40’s are very few
and far between. In fact I only saw three, and two of those were on used car
lots. X300’s seem to have been selling quite well in Tokyo though. Apart from
those I saw two SIII’s, one XJS, and one XK8.
There are lots of tiny, tiny cars there, a few of which were British Minis,
but no rusty or even dirty cars. When I asked why this was, I was told the
Japanese live in small apartments, without gardens etc. and therefore like to
spend spare time cleaning their cars. Also the law is that when the car is 3
years old, it must go to a licensed mechanic for not only a thorough
inspection, but major overhaul of it’s safety systems including replacement of
the brakes. (Probably horribly expensive on a Jag.) The owner is not allowed
to do this work so makes do by washing and polishing. I did notice some
aftermarket additions to cars though, mainly wheels, tires, and huge big-bore
exhaust systems. I also noticed quite a few GPS street map computer systems in
Tokyo vehicles, not only to guide motorists to destinations, but also to
locate and avoid traffic jams.
Other impressions - public transport that is safe, clean, and incredibly
punctual. All public places are kept very clean and tidy - barely a cigarette
butt anywhere, which is amazing 'cause the Japs smoke like chimneys -
drinkable tap water - small everything, including cars, apartments, hotel
rooms, and offices - not for the claustrophobic.
When I got home the SLS conversion package had arrived from Welsh. It seems
complete in that springs are included, but I am not currently in a hurry to
install it because…the car is no longer bouncing up and down! Thankfully
I have confirmation from my wife that the car had been misbehaving and I was
not just imagining it. No doubt if I close the box back up and return it, the
bouncing is sure to return…but what could be going on here? A stuck ride
height sensor that got free again? Any suggestions would would be welcome.
The ride height sensor would not have anything to do with it. But,
if the “down” valve stuck open, that might cause it. Since you have
the conversion kit, it is probably not worth it to diagnose it. Just
go ahead and have the suspension changed. But, you might try going
through the bleeding procedure I documented some time ago. It might
help in the short term by flushing the rear hydraulic lines.–
–Pete Crosby (pac@atl.hp.com a.k.a. @Pete_Crosby3)
1988 BRG XJ40 in the sunny south (Atlanta, GA, USA)
Paul wrote:
When I got home the SLS conversion package had arrived from Welsh. It seems
complete in that springs are included, but I am not currently in a hurry to
install it because…the car is no longer bouncing up and down! Thankfully
I have confirmation from my wife that the car had been misbehaving and I was
not just imagining it. No doubt if I close the box back up and return it, the
bouncing is sure to return…but what could be going on here? A stuck ride
height sensor that got free again? Any suggestions would would be welcome.
Some days my car seems to bounce more than other days. I notice in
particular if I let the car idle for a while after starting (30 seconds or
more) the rear end lifts, and I don’t get the harsh “banging” over bumps –
but the rear end bounces more. If I drive off right away, the rear end
doesn’t bounce, but it does bang over bumps. Even so, it is still
inconsistent!! So, IMHO, keep the kit, and install it. As soon as funds
allow, I will be doing the same. :-))
Hello Jagsters.
Japan turned out to be a fascinating place, although I cannot say I’d want
to
live there. We visited the cities of Takamatsu and Tokushima on the
southern
Island of Shikoku, as well as severeal days in Tokyo. Ate loads of
excellent
raw seafood (Sushi and Sashimi) and generally washed it down with local
Supporo beer (not the greatest).
Of course I had my eyes peeled for Jaguars while there. XJ40’s are very few
and far between. In fact I only saw three, and two of those were on used
car
lots. X300’s seem to have been selling quite well in Tokyo though. Apart
from
those I saw two SIII’s, one XJS, and one XK8.
There are lots of tiny, tiny cars there, a few of which were British Minis,
but no rusty or even dirty cars. When I asked why this was, I was told the
Japanese live in small apartments, without gardens etc. and therefore like
to
spend spare time cleaning their cars. Also the law is that when the car is
3
years old, it must go to a licensed mechanic for not only a thorough
inspection, but major overhaul of it’s safety systems including replacement
of
the brakes. (Probably horribly expensive on a Jag.) The owner is not
allowed
to do this work so makes do by washing and polishing. I did notice some
aftermarket additions to cars though, mainly wheels, tires, and huge
big-bore
exhaust systems. I also noticed quite a few GPS street map computer systems
in
Tokyo vehicles, not only to guide motorists to destinations, but also to
locate and avoid traffic jams.
Other impressions - public transport that is safe, clean, and incredibly
punctual. All public places are kept very clean and tidy - barely a
cigarette
butt anywhere, which is amazing 'cause the Japs smoke like chimneys -
drinkable tap water - small everything, including cars, apartments, hotel
rooms, and offices - not for the claustrophobic.
When I got home the SLS conversion package had arrived from Welsh. It
seems
complete in that springs are included, but I am not currently in a hurry to
install it because…the car is no longer bouncing up and down!
Thankfully
I have confirmation from my wife that the car had been misbehaving and I
was
not just imagining it. No doubt if I close the box back up and return it,
the
bouncing is sure to return…but what could be going on here? A stuck
ride
height sensor that got free again? Any suggestions would would be welcome.